Goodlatte fails to lead as white supremacists threaten

On Dec. 19 The News Leader reported a shameful event of what can only be described as domestic terrorism that white supremacists were putting vile, bigoted, extremist flyers in mailboxes in Augusta County.

I waited a day to give Rep. Bob Goodlatte time to voice his outrage on Twitter and Facebook. After all, he is quick to condemn domestic terrorism when it is perpetrated by a dark-skinned individual with a foreign (read: Muslim) sounding name.

The action by white supremacists is a hate crime, an act of domestic terrorism and a violation of US Postal laws. When I saw nothing from Mr. Goodlatte, I called his office. The reaction I got what can best be described as indifferent: along the lines of "the police were notified; what do want us to do?" I later received a canned email from an unattended mailbox saying much the same. I have yet to see a public outcry. Mr. Goodlatte's reluctance to condemn such a horrific action suggests he is not really all that concerned.

If Mr. Goodlatte were to meet with his constituents--not just his donors--he would know how outraged and saddened we are by the actions of bigots, racists, and anti-Semites be they with the KKK or another white supremacist group. He would know how desperately we are looking for the GOP to condemn these actions. His failure to speak out shows a failure of leadership.